Reviews

i started to like this book until it was getting repetitive. the chapters were omg tuesday, omg kittens, omg food food food food, omg yoga omg tuesday omg kittens omg supportive non binary friend (why do queer books always have a non binary friend who takes care of them — note: lucy bexley no strings). it was the same chapter over and over AND too much food talk it was overkill. i loved tuesday not sure about sutton she was cringe most of the time. wish more went on. but there were some typos of basic words and grammatical errors.

lezreadalot's review against another edition

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3.0

“I have a problem, ” I said to myself. A Tuesday problem, every day of the week.

3.5 stars. I selfishly really wish that I'd liked this more, because then I would be able to justify buying a physical copy, and then I could get to stare at the cover in person. Whew. Look, it's a really good cover, okay?? I get gayer every time I see it. The book between the covers was also really cute, made me smile a lot, buuuut it also made me so incredibly frustrated sometimes. It was a little bit of a roller coaster.

Sutton is a yoga instructor, and the new landlord for her building is opening a gym on the floor below hers. Her landlord looks like a Greek goddess (gestures at cover) and they first meet because Tuesday is playing her music disturbingly, obnoxiously loud. And right there! The book just lost me! Is this primary school?? Are y'all 10?? It's pretty clear to the reader (but not to Sutton) that Tuesday does the music thing, and sundry other little annoying things, because she likes Sutton and wants to get to know her. The trouble is that this is THEEE least attractive thing in the world to me. It's a place of business! The kind of business that can be really affected by loud music! And you're her damn landlord! That's soooo childish! Tuesday is supposed to be the huge grump to Sutton's sunshine, and she's kind of mean to boot. Again, the reader knows, because this is a romance novel, that she's doing it because she's into Sutton. But it failed to be charming in any way. That kind of kindergarten 'I will pull this girl's pigtails because I liiiiike her' bs does not look attractive on grown-ass adults. For the first 35% or so I was really worried about the book's trajectory.

But a shift does come, and when it comes, things get very very cute. There are other reasons behind Tuesday's attitude and behaviour, and it was enough to redeem her almost entirely in my eyes. They have a fun little courtship, where Tuesday does some of Sutton's yoga classes, and Sutton does some of Tuesday's cross-fit workouts, and they settle into a great little back and forth, with banter that was actually appealing. Tuesday's personality, when we see what's behind the annoying mean layer, is kind of lovely. I enjoyed Sutton's relationship with her best friend, though for such a (relatively) short book, it might have taken up a little too much space. I wish we'd seen Tuesday and Sutton on more dates, in more places then the gym and their apartments. It also did what I really wish short books would stop trying to do:

Spoiler

Try to make me believe the characters are in love after approximately five minutes. Okay, it was like a few weeks, but it still felt really absurd, when they had such a tumultuous start, with so much animosity, and Sutton kept mentioning how she wasn't even sure if she like Tuesday. And she would say it in such a convincing way that at times, this didn't even feel like a romance. So to pivot from that, to desperately trying to convince the reader that they'd fallen in love already? It felt sooooo flimsy, and the more that they protested they were in love, the less I believed it. And it's a shame, because at that point, I had really fallen for the relationship and their chemistry. It would have been enough for them to acknowledge they really like each other, and then maybe have an epilogue a year later where they say the big three words. Shoe-horning it into the main story really felt like the author did the characters a disservice. I just didn't like it. I also didn't like that we never really talked about Tuesday's shitty behaviour in the beginning. It's just kinda brushed aside like 'she definitely shouldn't have done it, but she had a crush so it was okay!' I wish we'd spent a little more time talking about how her grief about her parents and her breakup had affected her behaviour, and maybe then it wouldn't have seemed to annoying. Honestly, I'd settled on rounding up to 4 stars, even after the rough beginning, but something about those last few chapters brought it back down. The book doesn't excuse Tuesday's bs, but the last chapter made me circle back around to being mad at it. It also took pains to remind that reader that Tuesday is Sutton's landlord, but nothing changes about that situation? Other than a cursory mention that it could get kinda icky? IDK. This doesn't feel like a couple who'll stay together forever.

Listened to the audiobook as read by Lori Prince, and her voices definitely did help to make the characters more loveable, and the writing more palatable. Not that the writing was bad, but there were just certain instances where I felt like it was trying too much, or the humour just didn't do anything for me. Again, I wish I'd liked this more! There's the bones of a good romance here! But several things kept the story from feeling as romantic as it could have.

jaxsyms's review against another edition

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lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

jsjarvis71's review

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4.0

This is my first book read from Chelsea M. Cameron. I very much enjoyed her style of writing in "Anyone But You". I found it refreshing to have a story where the main characters start off butting heads with each other, fall for each other, and then stay together without a lot of angsty BS thrown in to extend the story. The characters get on each other's nerves, then kiss, then have sex, then get in a relationship that stays. That was an enjoyable storyline.

This was the first book that I've encountered where personal pronouns came into play. I don't know if it was because I was listening to the Audible version or if it was just because I wasn't familiar with hearing they/their instead of she/her type pronouns. It became more natural the more I heard but was a bit jarring at first for someone that hasn't encountered those in use before.

Lori Prince does a wonderful job of narration and is in the handful of top narrators for F/F novels in my opinion.

brynk's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

3.75

misthios_pat's review against another edition

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3.0

When you can't put a book down because you want to see them being awful with each other lol

Reading some reviews I thought I'd be DNFinishig this, not because I thought it'd be bad, just incompatible ya know, but colour me surprised I enjoyed it a lot. Granted, the first 2/5 were finished by sheer force of hatred LOL, jk.

It actually got me curious, because Tuesday was really an arse, but she was also nice (in a weird way ofc). But Sutton wasn't far off the arsehole path. She made a lot of assumptions based on the 'gym-bro" thing and was quite rude too, on many occasion it was warranted, but sometimes it was uncalled for. And I don't trust people who heats water for tea in the microwave. And that's coming from someone who puts their milk before the hot water. That's where I draw the line.

So if this was an AITA post I'd tag it as ESH. Until they didn't of course. Once they started spending some time together things just worked for them. I really thought they were sweet together and tell me about the first sex scene (all of them), what Sutton asked was so unexpectedly blunt but so right! hahaha.

So I'm giving it a 3, even though I don't think 3 is fair enough (GR should allow at least half grades). I think if this was longer I'd give it a solid 4, because I don't think we had as much time as the MC/LI did going from hating to loving (weeks, months), so even though it was plausible, my brain just didn't buy it fast enough.

I RECOMMEND

Now, you may want to skip the rest, they may contain some spoiler, how much? who knows, I try my best to be light, but sometimes stuff just...slips

cassie_grace's review

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4.0

It’s sweet and kind and inclusive. The protagonist’s roommate is non-binary, and her friend group includes a poly trio and a disabled person.

The romance is also really great! And hot!

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